Rethinking Online Learning:
Educational, social and
economic directions
James W. Pennebaker and Samuel D. Gosling
University of Texas at Austin
Funding from UT Course Transformation Program, College of Liberal
Arts, National Science Foundation, Army Research Institute. The views, opinions,
and/or findings contained in this report are those of the authors, and should not be construed as official positions, policies, or decisions of the UT
Course Transformation Program, College of Liberal Arts, the National Science Foundation or the Department of the Army, unless so designated by
other documents. Note that this statement is required by the Army Research Institute.
The New Online Alphabet
BOCs – Big old classes
MOOCs – Massive open online
classes
SMOCs – Synchronous massive
online classes
Big Old Classes (BOCs)
The Studio Classroom
The Studio Classroom
The Control Room
SMOC Montage
Clicks: Information search by
course grade
The future of SMOCs
Collaborative learning
Training people to think
Research opportunities
Small group dynamics
The psychology of communities
Learning and memory
The 10,000 person classroom: We can
teach each other’s students
Challenges for Chairs
Getting it off the ground
Constituencies: faculty, administration,
graduate and undergraduate offices,
continuing education, registrar, tutors,
technical offices (IT groups), development
Studio and broadcasting
Educational issues
TAs, RTF and education interns
Mentors
Business and research opportunities
Faculty considerations
Contacts
www.PsychologyLive.org
www.psy.utexas.edu/pennebaker
www.psy.utexas.edu/gosling
Samg@austin.utexas.edu
Pennebaker@mail.utexas.edu